The Gem Of The Ocean, Joe Turner s Come And Gone And The...

Myth as a semiological system in August Wilson’s Gem of the Ocean, Joe Turner’s Come and Gone and The Piano Lesson Abstract Myths are one of the most important elements included in the history of not only African-American lives but also the lives of each and every one of us. Myths are inevitable human resources at times when no other idea justifies our being. As Barthes posits, for it is human history which converts reality into speech, and it alone rules the life and the death of mythical language. Ancient or not, mythology can only have an historical foundation, for myth is a type of speech chosen by history: it cannot possibly evolve from the nature of things. This study looks into the significance of Myths and their determining roles as semiological systems in August Wilson s dramatic twentieth century cycle plays; Gem of the Ocean, Joe Turner’s Come and Gone and The Piano Lesson. In these plays, myths take the forms of individuals, rituals and even ancestral objects. It can be observed that each one of these elements performs the most important role in conveying the significance of the Afric an-American psyche and delicately portrays the eminent influence of ancestral backgrounds in shaping the lives of each character. The works of scholars such as Roland Barthes, Henry Gates, as well as many more, have been employed to better grasp this matter. Key words: Myth, semiological system, African-American psyche, mythical language, ritual Introduction

Descriptive Essay About Volleyball - 1245 Words

The Choice It was the start of a new day, the sun was shining, and autumn had decided take over for the summer. I had just started a new sport, and my first practice was today. My gaze was fixed on the window watching the cars drive by, and then my dad popped the question. The decision that I made about this question has shaped and changed my life forever. I had woken up in feeling very gusto that day all because my first volleyball practice was supposed to start today. It was a nice cool fall morning with red, orange, and golden leaves scattered all over the ground, in the trees, and filling the air. I walked outside and felt the cool, crisp air expand around my body. My breath was thin and clear as I released each breath. Stepping into†¦show more content†¦When I rose from my deep slumber, we were halfway home and my dad was talking with my mom on the phone, so I decided that it would be amusing if I pretended that I was asleep and listened to their conversation. I deliberately realized that their conversation was about me. I gradually started to wonder what they could possibly be talking about that was so important, so I was still and listened as closely as possible. Then I heard it the only word that I didn’t want to hear. Sports. I started to become anxious and fearful as I started to wonder what they wanted to do with sports, and why they were talking specifically about me. My sister did plenty of sports too. My dad hung up the phone and I finally decided that it was time to open up my eyes. When I did open them up my dad glanced over at me and said, â€Å"Anna we need to talk.† I knew that at that moment something wrong and terrible was about to happen. All I said was, â€Å"Okay†, and I braced myself for what was about to happen. He fixed his eyes on the road again, and then looked back at me with a sorrowful look on his face that made his face look contorted, this is how I knew that I wasn’t going to like what he was going to say at all. He opened his mouth once, but nothing came out. He opened it the same way again, only this time the words came spilling out of his mouth. â€Å"I’m sorry to say this, but mom and I talked and we decided that it would be best if you only did two sports, so you are going toShow MoreRelatedDescriptive Essay About Volleyball1352 Words   |  6 PagesAll or Nothing â€Å"Beep! Beep! Beep!† My alarm clock going off at 5:45 AM. I immediately get out of bed thinking this was the day, the final day my friends, family, and school community will watch me play volleyball. That day was my senior night, the night that every freshmen volleyball players anxiously awaits to. As I get ready and go to school, I get text messages from my friends and family wishing me luck in my big game. My heart begins to race and I immediately become nervous for tonight. I amRead MoreDescriptive Essay About Volleyball1563 Words   |  7 Pagesfrom all of the markers. The sound of the keyboards clicking all around the room was triggering my anxiety. The modern looking clock made it’s loud clicking noise every once in awhile. I noticed the red, white, and blue flag again and thought of volleyball. I remember the playing of the Star-Spangled Banner and looking at that small flag brought back some memories. I remember standing on the sideline with my good friend s since Kindergarten as we looked at the flag. I miss playing with my best friendsRead MoreDescriptive Essay About Volleyball1241 Words   |  5 Pagesjust started a new sport, and my first practice was today. My gaze was fixed on the window watching the cars drive by, and then my dad popped the question. The decision that I made about this question has shaped and changed my life forever. I had woken up in feeling very gusto that day all because my first volleyball practice was supposed to start today. It was a nice cool fall morning with red, orange, and golden leaves scattered all over the ground, in the trees, and filling the air. I walked outsideRead MoreDescriptive Essay About Volleyball1139 Words   |  5 PagesVolleyball, one of the worlds greatest sports. From the hot and muggy gym, to sweat dripping down each players face, volleyball is not for the faint of heart. This sport requires a single-minded desire: to win. It takes more than just teamwork to win. Volleyball has always been one of my favorite sports. I would always meet a new friend anywhere I would go. Believe it or not these situations are how you could meet your life long best friends. One day when I was in fifth grade, my volleyball teamRead MoreEnglish Thesis2890 Words   |  12 Pagesislands narrow central area. White Beach faces westward and Bulabog Beach faces eastward. The island also has several other beaches. 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Judge (2011) Organizational Behaviour 15th Edition New Jersey: Prentice Hall393164 Words   |  1573 PagesEnvironment 22 †¢ Improving Ethical Behavior 22 Coming Attractions: Developing an OB Model 23 An Overview 23 †¢ Inputs 24 †¢ Processes 25 †¢ Outcomes 25 Summary and Implications for Managers 30 S A L Self-Assessment Library How Much Do I Know About Organizational Behavior? 4 Myth or Science? â€Å"Most Acts of Workplace Bullying Are Men Attacking Women† 12 An Ethical Choice Can You Learn from Failure? 24 glOBalization! Does National Culture Affect Organizational Practices? 30 Point/Counterpoint LostRead MoreFundamentals of Hrm263904 Words   |  1056 PagesHuman Resource Management. It is truly an exciting time to be studying Human Resource Management. We appreciate that you are taking time to read this preface to get a better understanding of the text and the resources for learning it includes. 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Use Among Adolescents with Female Same-Sex Parents free essay sample

Research Critique Family types have made considerable changes in the last few decades. There is an increase in the number of families being headed by same sex couples. With such changes come the questions about the effects on human development in persons raised in same sex parent homes. Specifically there is question about whether adolescents encounter difficulties with adjustments more in same sex parent families versus those adolescents in a different sex parent family.For the purposes of this research critique, I will start by discussing my reasons for choosing the specific article I chose, my expectations of the article and the articles appeal to me. I will then summarize the article and discuss its completeness and further follow up that could be done. I choose this study over the others because I have an interest in learning more about same sex relationships and the effects they have on the couples involved as well as children raised with homes with same sex parents. We will write a custom essay sample on Use Among Adolescents with Female Same-Sex Parents or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page I have strong religious beliefs that do not support same sex relationships and I have found in the past the articles I have read about same sex relationships tend to confirm the beliefs I have. This article title sparked my interest because it was a new subject matter under this premise. After looking at the title and before reading any of the article, I had the assumption that I was going to learn that there are more problems in adolescents in a same sex parent family over those in a different sex parent family.I find that to be my religious bias coming out. I have made the poor assumption that just because same sex relationships don’t follow my own belief system that they are in turn faulty relationships and not good environments for children to be reared in. I recognized this bias once I completed reading the article. I have no foundation for these biases by way of scientific data and realize that just because my own religious beliefs don’t align with this idea, doesn’t mean that these relationships and family types don’t work overall.I found this article interesting because it opened my eyes to my own biases about same sex relationships as a whole. As far as data presented and results, I didn’t find it as interesting based on the fact that there are no significant differences between the two family types studied. I was hoping to see more information on comparisons and results but since the subjects used were from another study, it didn’t seem to have as much data as I had expected.The study, Delinquency, Victimization, and Substance Use Among Adolescents With Female Same-Sex Parents by Jennifer L. Wainright and Charlotte J. Patterson, examines whether adolescents with female same sex parents differ significantly from a matched group of adolescents living with different-sex parents, including measures of delinquent behavior, victimization, substance abuse, and qualities of family relationships. Participants were selected from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health in grades 7-12.Forty-four participants whose families were headed by a mother who reported being in a marriage or marriage like relationsh ip with another women were selected. These participants were matched based on gender, age, ethnic background, adoption status, learning disability status, family income and parents’ education with an adolescent reared in a different-sex parent home. There were a total of 88 participants in the study (Wainright Patterson, 2006).The study assessed substance abuse, delinquent behaviors, and victimization of each adolescent participant via an in home interview (IHI), in school surveys of students, and through in home questionnaires of parents (Wainright Patterson, 2006). Family and relationship variables were also examined. Wainright Patterson (2006) stated that they also looked at â€Å"adolescents’ perceived care from adults, teachers, and friends was measured with three items from the Adolescent IHI regarding how much the adolescent believed that others care about them† (p. 27). Wainright Patterson’s (2006) study revealed the following: Across a diverse array of assessments, including me asures of delinquent behavior, victimization, substance abuse, and qualities of family relationships, adolescents with female same- sex parents did not differ significantly from a matched group of adolescents living with different-sex parents. Regardless of family type, adolescents were less likely to report risky behavior when parents described close relationships with them (p. 528-529).Thus we can see that the sexual orientation of parents does not have a significant effect on the adolescents adjustments as much as the closeness of the relationship between the parent and the adolescent. In my opinion the research suggested in this article was based on a limited number of participants and was solely based on self-reports of the adolescents and parents. This necessarily makes the study incomplete but it does lead me to wonder how the results would change with a larger sample size. This would be a good follow up to this study.

Pros and cons of online shopping free essay sample

Evaluating Arguments in Article Analysis Article 1 : Benefits Of Shopping Online Question 1 The issue that is being discussed is about the benefits of online shopping . The article is written on 7th February 2009 by Mansi Citranshi . Today , the world is already at the tip of our fingers . We can do so many things by using internet .Online shopping is a form of electronic commerce where buyers can directly buy goods or services from a seller over the internet service . We can choose a variety of goods from all over the world and evokes the physical analogy of buying products from a bricks-and-mortar store . The author is trying to emphasize the bright side of doing online shopping nowadays . She states that in this recessionary phase , the economy was dilapidated in this global world , millions are affected and masses are short on funds . Masses are exploring the propriety of one stop online shopping web now . We will write a custom essay sample on Pros and cons of online shopping or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Thus , online shopping is the best way to shop nowadays . Question 2 The article’s intended audience is more to teens and adults . This is because the majority of Internet user consists from the range of age at 18-32 . This generation prefer to use the Internet to use the Internet more as a tool for information searches and buying products apart from using the Internet largely for entertainment and for communicating with friends and family . Thus , the author are listing lots of benefits of online shopping so that the generation will change their shopping polarity from shopping in brick-and-mortar shopping complex to online shopping . This also can persuade peoples who think negatively about online shopping to change their perspectives . Question 3 Most evidence that are presented by the author to support her arguments are based on her own experience and observation on today’s shopping trend . She puts all her observation and experiences to share about the online shopping’s pros . Online shopping is something that is beneficial for those who wants to save their time and fuels . It also provide a vivid range of products for everyone from all over the world . After all you will feel  comfortable to shop since you do not have to find any parking spot and be in crowded place. Question 4 The argument is complete. The author give sufficient explanation on what she’s writing about . Online shopping do give us many benefit in our daily life . It helps us to shop within a short time and stay in our comfort zone . However , I think that this author a bit biased . She only stated the benefits of online shopping without saying anything on the bad effect of online shopping . Question 5 As an individual reader , I do agree with most of the points that are stated in the article . Life as a teenager and student needs me to be smart enough to juggle my time so that I can study well and enjoy my life as a youth at the same time . I really love to shop but sometimes insufficient time and money become obstacles for myself . Thus , I find out that online shopping is the best solution for all the shopaholics out there . The author stated that by doing online shopping , we can compare the quality and prices from many website just by using the Internet . This can help me to make a budget and make a right decision to purchase any product which is the cheapest but has the best quality . Besides that , I also can shop right away from anywhere I am as long as there is Internet service and do not have to stuck with the crowd and queue up a long line just to pay for a single product .Do you realize that by online shopping we can actually help to save the environment ? This is becau se when we do online shopping , at the same time we are using less paper to print out pamphlets and reducing the fuel consumption . Question 6 From this article , I learn few new things about online shopping that I did not know before . I just knew that the price of products in online shopping are cheaper than in physical store because the online store have less operating and overhead costs for their products . Plus , we also can save more money by utilizing the coupon codes that we have collected . The more we shop with that website , the more coupon codes can be collected and get more discounts . Interesting , right ? I really enjoy reading this article . It makes me more confident to shop online and turns down all my negative thoughts about online shopping . Article 2 : What’s Wrong With Online Shopping Question 1 The issue that is being discussed is about the disadvantages of online shopping . The article is written on 4th May 2010 by Brad Tuttle . Even though nowadays almost everything can be done by using Internet , we still need to be aware with the bad sides of it . There are so many things that we do not know happening behind the scene . We only know that internet can make our life simpler . The author is telling us the disadvantages of online shopping . Behind the convenience , there are many problems arising because of it . There are price inconsistency , coupons game and lots more . Thus , we need to think twice before make an order from online store . Question 2 The article’s intended audience is for those teenagers and adults who are crazy over online shopping . This is so worrying since some of them have even become addicted into it . They feel like their day will not be complete if they do not scrolling over the shopping website or purchasing something from them . In addition of that , they do not realize that actually their debt or credit card usage is almost at the limit . This can lead to bankruptcy to those shopaholic . Question 3 Most evidence that are presented by the author to support his arguments are based on his own experience and also some facts from interview and experiments done by Paco Underhill , the consumer culture scholar of Why We Buy. Paco Underhill has discussed all sorts of online shopping frustration with the WSJ Digits blog . He is wondering why the prices of the products are inconsistent from the store and the website . This can lead to frustration among the customer when they find out about this . Underhill also had an experiment featured with WSJ Post to investigate whether retail store would match the prices of its online website and does their brick-and-mortar shop will accept returns for products purchased online . This is all about customer service consistency . Question 4 The argument is complete. The author do give sufficient explanation on what he’s writing about . Facts and his own experiences make this article more interesting . I also feels like he is not a biased writer . Even though he is writing on the disadvantages of online shopping , he still agreed that online shopping is much faster rather than going to the physical shop . Besides online shopping also can be done 24 hours a day . However , there are many disadvantages on top of it . Question 5 As an individual reader , I do agree with the points in the article . We should not trust 100% with the online shopping website . Be a smart shopper and do not easily being fooled by the items shown in the website. We have to compare the price shown in the web with the price shown in their brick-and-mortar shop . Some company put a different price for a same item . This is not fair and can create confusion to buyers . Besides that , we also should not be tricked with coupon games . Coupon code that have been collected while we buy online can be used to redeem discounts or free gift . However , sometimes the code do not work for mysterious reasons . It is just a way used by the retailers to attract customers to buy their product by making us feel special with an `exclusive’ offer . Question 6 From this article , I learn few new things about online shopping that I did not realized before . I get to know that online shopping is not truly safe for us , especially the teenagers . We are still young and sometime we do not think twice before doing something . We just follow our hearts . I bet not many of us realize that the retail and online divisions of a company is being handled by different people or groups . Sometimes they are more like competitors rather than a team although they are using the same company name . Besides that , recently in NY Times , there is an issue about `behavioral tracking’ . The retailers are tracking our shopping activity by using web coupons to compile data on our shopping habits. This is to get to know customers better and what is their shopping tendency . Don’t you feel creepy since you are being watched secretly by someone we do not know ? I do not want that to happen to me .